The San Francisco 49ers selected Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk with the No. 25 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
San Francisco traded up to this spot from No. 31, also giving up the No. 117 and No. 176 selections.
49ers get: Pick 25
Vikings get: Pick 31, 117, 176
Aiyuk recorded 98 receptions for 1,666 yards with 11 touchdowns in two seasons with the Sun Devils after transferring from Sierra College. He joins a wide receiver group that lost veteran Emmanuel Sanders but has young talent in players like Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne.
It was already written ...4 years old!! So excited to be a part of the @49ers organization! #faithful pic.twitter.com/frt7u94To3
— BA (@THE2ERA) April 24, 2020
The 49ers provided the following bio on Aiyuk:
Appeared in 25 games in two seasons (2018-19) at Arizona State and registered 98 recepts. for 1,666 yds. and 11 TDs. Also recorded 28 KORs for 760 yds. (27.1 avg.) and 25 PRs for 293 yds. (11.7 avg.) and 1 TD. As a senior in 2019, earned Third-Team All-America honors. He appeared in 12 games and recorded 65 recepts. for 1,192 yds. and 8 TDs. Also added 14 KORs for 446 yds. (31.9 avg.) and 14 PRs for 226 yds. (16.1 avg.) and 1 TD. Played in all 13 games as a junior in 2018 after transferring to Arizona State, recording 33 recepts. for 474 yds. and 3 TDs. Added 14 KORs for 314 yds. (22.4 avg.) and 11 PRs for 67 yds. (6.1 avg.). Played two seasons (2016-17) at Sierra (Rocklin, CA) College where he appeared in 20 games and recorded 89 recepts., 1,533 rec. yds. and 19 TDs. Appeared in 10 games as a sophomore in 2017, registering 60 recepts. for 960 yds. and 14 TDs. As a freshman in 2016, recorded 29 recepts. for 573 yds. and 5 TDs in 10 games.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot and 205-pound Aiyuk had a 40-time of 4.5 seconds, a vertical jump of 40 inches, a broad jump of 128 inches, and 11 reps in the bench press. Other measurables for Aiyuk include an arm length of 33 1/2 inches and hands that measure 9 3/4 inches.
NFL.com projected Aiyuk to be a first- or second-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Aiyuk:
Aiyuk (pronounced EYE-yook) transferred from Sierra College for the 2018 season. He was an all-purpose threat for the Wolverines for two seasons, excelling as a receiver (89 receptions, 1,533 yards, 19 touchdowns in 2016-2017) and returner (two kick return scores, one punt return score in 2017). Sun Devils coaches started him three times in 13 games in his first year in Tempe and he caught 33 passes for 474 yards (14.4 per) and three touchdowns. The former all-state pick at Reno's McQueen High School also returned kicks (14 returns, 314 yards, 22.4 average) and punts (11 returns, 67 yards, 6.1 average) in his junior season. Aiyuk took his game to another level in 2019, garnering third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 honors after leading the Sun Devils with 65 receptions for 1,192 yards (18.3 per) and eight scores. He was also one of the top two-duty returners in the country (14 returns, 226 yards, 16.1 average, one touchdown on punts; 14 returns, 446 yards, 31.9 average on kickoffs). Underwent core muscle surgery on April 7, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Aiyuk to Robert Woods, wrote the following about Aiyuk within his scouting report:
Ascending receiving prospect who has shown continued improvement since coming from the JUCO ranks. Aiyuk has size, speed and is a natural pass-catcher who plays with good energy but he must improve physicality to handle contested catches. He can be slick and instinctive to separate out of stems and turns, but getting in and out of standard route breaks tends to limit his effectiveness. He needs more polish, but his ability to create yards after catch could get him some early reps while he's still developing. He has the potential to develop into a WR3.
Measurables
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205 lbs.
Arm length: 33 1/2 inches
Hand length: 9 3/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.5 seconds
Vertical: 40 inches
Broad jump: 128 inches
Bench press: 11 reps
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||
| 2018 | Arizona State | JR | 13 | 33 | 474 | 14.4 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Arizona State | SR | 12 | 65 | 1192 | 18.3 | 8 | ||||||||
| Total | Arizona State | 98 | 1666 | 17.0 | 11 | ||||||||||
Personal
- Attended Robert McQueen (Reno, NV) HS where was named first-team All-Northern Nevada as a senior.
- Born Brandon Aiyuk (3/17/98) in Reno, NV.
- His last name is pronounced EYE-yook.
- Though he stands at 6-foot-1, Aiyuk recorded an 81-inch wingspan, equivalent to 6-foot-9.
- Aiyuk is only the second alum from a Northern Nevada high school to become a first-round NFL draft pick. Former DT Shawn Knight (Reed HS, NV) was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 11th overall in the 1987 NFL Draft.
- Aiyuk has roots in Northern California, as he attended Sierra (Rocklin, CA) College from 2016- 17. The 49ers spent training camp at Sierra College from 1981-1997. Additionally, Aiyuk's mom has been a fan of the 49ers for years, with Aiyuk supporting the team since he was four years old.